São Paulo - Google wants to cure chronic diseases without the use of drugs. For this, Verily (organization that is part of the Alphabet, Google holding) signed a partnership agreement with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to develop injectable bioelectronic devices that can replace the drugs.
The result is a new company called Galvani Bioeletronics. It is born thanks to an investment of 540 million pounds (720 million dollars), which will be implemented over seven years. "This agreement with Verily signals a key step in bioelectronics journey GSK, bringing together health and technology to realize a shared vision of miniaturized electrical and precision therapies," said Moncef Slaoui, CEO of GSK said in a statement.
The bioelectronics is a relatively new scientific field which uses miniature devices to modify the electrical signals passing along the nerves in the body. As each neuron is part of a network that encompasses all organs, the devices stimulate to control the functions of a specific organ. By stimulating the vagus nerve, for example, the apparatus can control the operation of the pancreas and thus treat diabetes.
Today, drugs are used to regulate these functions. The problem with this, however, are the side effects that often accompany them. With bioelectronic devices, scientists expect that amount of negative implications decrease.
Although interesting, the proposed new company comes up against a scientific problem: the electrical systems of the human body have not been fully mapped. Thus, it is difficult to treat a disease without knowing how to get to it.
This is not the first time that Verily makes a partnership with a pharmaceutical company. In 2015, she created with Novartis a contact lens that can measure glucose levels.
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